Steering apparatus for vessels



(No Model.) 2v Sheets- Sheet AI.

- F. W. MARTIN.

STEERING APPARATUS FOR VESSELS.

N PETERS. Pllijlhogmphnr, Wahingian. D. C.

'(No Model.)

P.' W.. MARTIN.

4STFRERIEIGI MPMML'EUs FOR' VESSBLS. No. 398.900. Patented Mar. 5, 1889 vi- N 2 Sheets--Sheet I 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEE-ICE.:

FREDERICK lV. MARTIN, OF IVAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS,

STEERlNG APPARATUS FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,900, dated March 5, 1889.

Application filed April23, 3.887.

To all 15700711/ it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. MARTTN, a citizen of the United States, residing` at ll/Taukegan, in the county of Lake'and State Center-Board Steering-Gear for Sail-Boats, of i which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steering-gear for small sailing-boats; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to prol vide extra room in the boat by removing forward the center-board that hitherto has occupied so great a space in the center of the boat; l

second, to dispense wi th the deck steering-gear now in common use; third, to dispense with steering-gear entirely when one Wishes to use the sail-boat as a canoe; fourth, to make beaching and launching easy, and, fth, to increase speed and steadiness in sailing. I attain these objects by the mecl'ianism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sect-ion of aboat rigged with my steering-gear. The relative lejngth of the boa-t as compared with the length of the rudders or center-boards is in practice much greater than appearsin the figure. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper portion of the gear. Figs. 3 and al are vertical cross-sections of a boat riggedwith my gear. Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of the boxes in which the rudder-stocks revolve. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the parts of the keel above the rudders or center-boards.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Serial No. 235,930. (No model.)

and L the position of L alter B has been In Fig. 2 II represents the. tiller; S, a yoke of Illinois, have invented a new and useful fixed at right angles on the stock of the aft viewed from the direction of the stern. p p Y are beams supporting the lever quadrant ooggears. In Fig. 5 U represents a plan view of the box lll after its top has been taken off; M, this top, andK a transverse section of K in the washer X. Y

In Fig. 6 we have U', lv and X again, together with S, a transverse section of L.

In Fig. 7 E is the keel, and N represents plates screwed to this on eitherside of the slots that allow the center-boards to pass up f into their trunks, and Z Z are apertures in the plates, through which K and L pass and in which they revolve.

The blades A and B are designed to be used both as rudders and Vas center-boards. Their use as the latter is too obvious to requ ire explanation. I proceed to explain their i use as rudders.

In Fig. l A and B represent, respectively, the aft and forward center-boards; C, the hull of the boat; D, its deck; E, its keel; F, the forward center-board trunk G, the aft centerboard trunk; H, the tiller; K, the-stock on which the aft center-board is fiXed; L, the stock on which the forward center-board is ixed; M and M ,the boxes that contain the washers X and X', through which the stocks pass; O, a drop-joint in L and O, showing the position of the upper part of L when B is elevated into F; P, a part of L rounded; Q and Q", halyards used in raising A and B; R, cleats; A and B', dotted lines showing position of A and B when raised into G and F; K', the position of the 'stock of the aft centerboard when the latter has been raised into G,

' Referring to Fig. 2, if H is moved to the line a a, Awill stand in the pla-ne o. o, and S in the plane e e. T will have therefore drawn the lever I to the line g. Thus the lever coggear I will be made to turn J partly around. Now J has a rectangular hole through its center, and L is rect-angular except at P, and is of such size as to fit (but not tightly) in this hole; hence when the above movements have taken place B will stand in the plane d cl. Thus the course of the boat will be directed toward the port. Reversing above operation, it will be turned in the starboard direction. Turning the tiller at the proper angle and holding it still, the boat maybe made to describe a circle of greater or less diameter, according as the angle of the blades with ICO the longitudinal axis of the boat is .less or greater. Vhen running before the wind, the board B may be raised and housed in the trunk F. At I,Fig. 1, L is made round, so that when B is thus housed the Cog-wheel J may revolve without at thc same time turning the stock L. Thus A acts as the sole rudder (and at the same time as a center-board) and so keeps the craft from yawing in a seaio way and holds it more steady than it would be with 'any steering-gear now in use.

If it is desired to row or paddle the boat absolutely, both A and B may be unshipped by unscrewing thennts 7c and k' and drawing them (A and 1B) out and entirely detaching them from the boat. A and l5 are housed in G and F whenever the boat is beached, thus avoiding the inconvenience occasioned by a rudder when beaching and launching a boat.

2o The forward stock, L, is provided with a drop-joint, O, so that when B is housed, to sail before the wind, the upper section of L may be dropped, as' shown at O', and thus prevented from coming in Contact with the boom of the sail.

IVith my steering-.gear the lateral resistance is fixed at such distance apart in the boat that it is made to move more steadily7 in a Seaway, and consequently will sail faster.

3o Instead of the lever cog-gears I and I' a single yoke can be used on forward or after side of cog-.wheel J with quadrant attachment, but not so eifectually as by the mechanism shown in the drawings herein.

3 5 Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent 1s l. In machinery for steering boats, the box M, fastened to the under side of the deck of 4o the boat, its interior surface being circular in for-1n vand vertical in position, so as to permit the washer X to revolve therein, and being also of such diameter as to afford the said washer the least practicable lateral motion, said washer being pierced with a hole of such size and shape that it iits. loosely YVupon the rudder-stock K, which bears the rudder-.blade A and revolves with said rudderstock, steadying-'itsI motion, and allows it to pass upward and downward in the trunk G, substantially 56 as shown, and for the purposes specified.

2. In machinery for steering boats, the yoke S, fastened tightly on the rudder-stock K and connected by means of the yoke-lines T and T' with the lever-gears I and I', which engage 5 5 with the cogs of the gear-wheel .I on its opposite sides, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

3. The lever-gears I and I', fastened beneath vthe deck of the boat, in combination with the 6o yoke S, by means of the connecting yokelines T and T', and engaging by their cogs with the cogs of the gear-wheel. J, said gearwheel being provided with an angular hole through its hub, of such diameter as to permit the rudder-stock L to easily pass through and also to cause it to revolve when the said gear-wheel J revolves, substantialiy as described, and for the purposes specified.

4. In machinery for steering boats, the rud- 7o der-stock L, angular in form except at its lower extremity, P, and of such diameter as to pass through and tit loosely in the hub of the gear-wheel J, and the washer X', said stock passing through the box M' and the trunk F, 7 5 and being fastened at its lower end to the rudder-blade B, substantially as shown, and for the purposes specified.

5. In machinery for steering boats, the box M', fastened beneath the deck of the boat and 8o containing the washer X', in combination with the rudder stock L, passing through them, substantially as shown, and for the purpOses specified.

6. The drop-joint O in the rudder-stock L, constructed near the middle of the same, and the cylinder-shaped section l? of the rudderstock L, made at its lower end, substantially as shown, and for the purposes specilied.

7. In machinery for steeringboats, the chains 9o Q and Q', in combination, respectively, with the rudder-blades A and B, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

FREDERICK W. MARTIN. Witnesses:

A. H. TYRRELL, E. C. CRAWFORD. 

